


They don't have those in the Horde

by Say_Anything



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, also Catra is a dubious wingman, don't trust her, post war content, she lives in Bright Moon for now but only because Glimmer promised Adora and Bow she'd feed her, this one is really weird! lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-02-13 09:03:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21491788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Say_Anything/pseuds/Say_Anything
Summary: Adora doesn't understand the concept of pet names. Her friends try to help and somehow she still fails spectacularly.
Relationships: Adora/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 125





	They don't have those in the Horde

**Author's Note:**

> Very random post war fluff ahead!  
Idea inspired once again by my lovely pal Jade (cosmicpeaches here on ao3, please go check out her works!)
> 
> Enjoy the chaos! ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

It came out of nowhere.

They were in the middle of a meeting in the war room, discussing how to start helping Scorpia rebuild the Scorpion Kingdom in the ruins of the Fright Zone, when Glimmer addressed Adora.

“I think we should consider sending some of Bright Moon’s guards and stationing them inside the territory for the time being. Until the Scorpion empire is officially established. And it might not hurt to have one of the princesses stay and act as an example for Princess Scorpia. Adora, sweetheart? What do you think? Would you be willing to go acting as the Princess of Power?”

Adora didn’t answer the question for what was considerably far too long, but she was too focused on trying to unravel the meaning behind Glimmer’s words to form a response. What was a ‘sweet heart’? How could a heart be sweet? And why was Adora being compared to one? Was it some form of shorthand? Was Glimmer giving her a coded message? Was she supposed to do something sweet for the heart for Scorpia? That had to be it.

…Right?

She glanced around the room, as if that would give her an answer. Glimmer was staring at her wide-eyed, blushing… Embarrassed? But why?

Mermista yawned from where she sat across from Adora and Perfuma was too busy toying with a flower she’d sprouted in the palm of her hand to notice anything. Scorpia was staring intently at Adora, awaiting a response and Bow was glancing between her and Glimmer nervously. As if she’d said something she shouldn’t have.

Frosta, on the other hand, seemed just as confused as Adora. She sat in silence, eyes flitting around the now silent war room.

Realizing that the entire group was waiting for her response, Adora cleared her throat—already sort of having forgotten the question—and replied with, “Yes. Yeah. Stay in the Scorpion Kingdom and act as an intermediary. Yes. I can do that, Your Majesty.”

Glimmer nodded quickly and breezed past any objections, dismissing everyone with the promise that they’d begin the restoration of the Scorpion Kingdom within the week.

Adora hung back as the rest of her friends trickled out of the room, sensing Glimmer wanted to speak with her from the way her violet eyes kept flickering nervously towards her.

As soon as everyone was gone, Bow being the last straggler, Glimmer approached Adora, bottom lip caught between her teeth nervously.

“Adora, honey, I’m so sorry about that. It just slipped out. I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of everyone.”

Once again, Adora caught herself ruminating on why Glimmer was now referring to her as a food. Another sweet item, nonetheless. More code?

“Um… No. That’s… I’m Good.”

Glimmer’s brows rose and then furrowed. “It’s—Good?”

“Yes.” Adora nodded once… Firmly. She wasn’t really sure what Glimmer was apologizing for and this entire conversation was beginning to make her head hurt. “Good.”

Glimmer was much better at relationships than she was, Adora decided.

It hadn’t been long since they’d officially been in one, of course; only since the conclusion of the war a few weeks ago. But in that time, Glimmer had proven herself to be a steadfast, loving, and loyal girlfriend. All things Adora tried to imitate, but there were certain intricacies she clearly didn’t understand. And this was obviously one of them.

If it wasn’t code—which it couldn’t be she realized, because otherwise Glimmer would be explaining it right now—It had to be some sort of relationship thing? A nickname? But if it was a relationship thing, which Adora equated with good—then why was Glimmer apologizing as if it had been bad?

“I’m gonna… Go—,” Adora mumbled, her head beginning to spin with all the whirling thoughts. “Um… Check on Catra. I’ll see you later?”

Glimmer watched her turn, looking almost as confused as Adora.

She’d almost left the war room completely before remembering her ‘relationship manners’ and turned on her heel to press a quick kiss to her girlfriend’s cheek.

“Love you,” she added with a grin she hoped was somewhat convincing. Glimmer looked appeased enough, the worry lines on her forehead smoothing. Adora took the opportunity to dash out of the war room, a great wave of relief washing over her.

* * *

“She called you what?” Catra asked, cocking one brow in confusion, her bi-colored eyes following Adora as she paced around her room.

“A ‘sweet heart’,” Adora rolled the words around in her mouth. They sounded stunted and different from when Glimmer had said them for some reason. “And then a ‘honey’.”

Catra snorted, her tail flicking with glee. “It’s clearly code, Adora.”

“That’s what I thought!” Adora whirled around, pausing in her pacing to face Catra where she lay lounging on the window seat. “…For what?”

“Well, obviously, she wants to eat you.” Catra broke into laughter on the last word and she doubled in on herself as it took over.

“Catra, this is serious!” Adora scoffed, shoving her friend’s shoulder. “What did she mean?”

“I dunno!” Catra shoved her back, nose wrinkling in annoyance. “Why don’t you go ask her? I have no idea why you thought I’d have any clue what she was talking about.”

“No, I can’t ask Glimmer,” Adora objected, standing up and beginning to pace a rut in the floor again. “Because she’s already so much better at this than me. And what if I offend her by not knowing what she meant? You know she can hold a grudge—,”

“Sparkles? Grudge? No…” Catra drawled, the sarcasm dripping.

Adora shot her a venomous glare but continued on her tirade. “—And I really don’t want us fighting again so soon, after everything. But if I don’t ask her and she expects me to reciprocate somehow then that could hurt her feelings too and I—,”

“Adora!” Catra leapt to her feet, grabbing Adora’s arms and shaking to quiet her. “Look, aren’t you guys supposed to be working on your ‘communication skills’ or whatever, anyway? Just ask her what she was talking about and say sorry if she gets upset. Which, by the way, if she gets mad at you for being a dumbass, she didn’t really like you in the first place. Sorry.”

Catra smirked, released Adora, and flicked her with her tail as she turned away. It took Adora a full five seconds to process the insult and another three to tackle Catra to the ground and pin her until she apologized.

* * *

If there was one thing Adora had learned growing up with Catra, it was to never trust her advice.

So… She did not go to Glimmer (no matter how sensible it had sounded in the moment) and instead cornered Bow as he was practicing archery in the courtyard.

“Bow! I need your help!” Adora wasted no time, stopping just short of leaping in front of the archer’s line of sight as he aimed a shot at a faraway target.

“Sure, Adora. Just one second…,” Bow loosed the arrow, waiting until it hit to turn toward the frantic blonde. “What’s up?”

“I need you to tell me what a ‘sweet heart’ is.”

Bow blinked, the confusion on his face clearing a second later. “Oh, is this about what Glimmer said at the meeting?”

“Yes!” Adora followed Bow like a lost puppy as he sheathed his bow and headed across the courtyard to retrieve his arrow. “What does it mean?”

“Wait?” Bow’s step stuttered. “It’s a pet name, Adora. A term of endearment… Do you… Did you not have those in the Horde?”

Adora’s nose wrinkled. “What’s an endearment?”

Bow slapped his hands to his cheeks, a squeaky ‘oh’ escaping him. “What? Adora!”

“What?!”

“Sometimes I forget just how sad your life was,” Bow whimpered, almost to himself.

A frown darkened Adora’s face. “Hey.”

“I’m sorry! It’s just… Okay,” Seeming to forget the arrow, Bow placed his hands on Adora’s shoulders, leading her toward a nearby bench instead. “When two people are in a relationship—,”

“Like me and Glimmer.”

“Like you and Glimmer,” Bow nodded as they sat down. “They use special nicknames for each other. It’s just an extra nice way of telling the other person you care about them without actually saying it.”

Adora pursed her lips, glowering down at her toes in thought. “So it can be anything? Glimmer referred to me as a food.”

Bow blinked in confusion.

“A ‘honey’.”

“Oh! Well, yes. Er, no. Not _anything_, but a lot of couples do get really creative. There are some classic ones of course. ‘Sweetheart’, ‘honey’, ‘baby’—,”

“Baby?”

“Yeah!”

“I’m not an infant.”

“Well,” Bow was practically sweating, tugging at the collar of his top. “It’s not meant to be taken literally. It’s kind of like how babies are precious and cute. So… By calling your significant other ‘babe’ or ‘baby’, you’re implying you think the same of them.”

“Babies are also weak and helpless,” Adora pointed out.

“Um, yes. But… That’s not the point of the pet name.” Bow ran a hand over his face. “Look, why don’t you try one with Glimmer. Maybe it’ll make more sense if you use it yourself?”

Adora frowned again. “But all of those sound ridiculous.”

“Well, make up your own then,” Bow insisted. “It can be anything really. But it’s most effective if you come up with something specific to the other person and their unique qualities.”

“Oh… Okay.”

Bow patted Adora’s shoulder comfortingly. “Don’t stress out about it too much. Glimmer likes to use them, but that doesn’t mean you have to.”

But Adora had already made up her mind to try. She just needed the right opportunity.

It came the next day, when she, Glimmer and Bow were concluding their own private meeting regarding Scorpia in Glimmer’s quarters. They’d just finished outlining what exactly Adora should do to assist Scorpia in reestablishing her kingdom when Adora decided to try out the pet name she’d thought of.

“Does all of that sound okay, Adora?” Glimmer asked, turning around from where she’d been looking out the window and coming to sit next to Adora on the window seat.

Adora nodded, plastering on a confident grin. “Absolutely. I’ll take care of everything, don’t worry.” She leaned over to press a kiss to Glimmer’s cheek. “Just leave it to me, Sparkle Butt.”

Leaning back, smiling proudly, Adora almost didn’t notice the look of absolute bewilderment twisting Glimmer’s face. She did however, hear Bow repeat the nickname she’d made up in disbelief before bursting into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

“Sparkle… Butt?” The question came from Glimmer, but Adora was focused solely on Bow’s betrayal. He’d _told_ her to make one up!

“It’s—It’s an endearment!” Adora insisted, aiming a swift kick at Bow’s shins as he practically rolled on the floor—It didn’t stop him. “Bow said to—,”

Glimmer’s confused frown turned into a wavering smile. “Like a pet name?”

“Yes!”

“Sparkle Butt!” Bow cut in.

“Bow said that I should come up with one that exemplifies your unique qualities. And sometimes you sparkle when… We… When I—,” Adora trailed off underneath Bow’s laughter, her entire body going hot with embarrassment. “Did I… Do it wrong?”

“Oh, Adora,” Glimmer giggled, placing a hand on Adora’s cheek and drawing her attention away from Bow. “No, you’re perfect. It’s just… Very unique.”

“It’s not good,” Adora sighed, accepting defeat. “I’ll come up with a better one.”

“Or,” Glimmer pressed a quick kiss to the tip of her nose. “You could try some classic ones. ‘Babe’, ‘honey’—,”

Adora’s brow furrowed. “Those sound weird.”

“All pet names kinda sound weird at first,” Glimmer shrugged with another chuckle. “They take some getting used to. But, Adora, you don’t have to force yourself to use them. I appreciate that you tried in the first place. That was very thoughtful.”

“It was?” Adora’s voice was small, hopeful, and she smiled as Glimmer leaned in to brush their lips together softly.

“It was,” Glimmer murmured, as Adora wrapped her arms around her girlfriend’s waist.

The moment was interrupted by yet another outburst from Bow, “Sparkle Butt!”

* * *

It finally hit Adora when they were alone a few nights later. When she lay squirming beneath Glimmer’s feather light touch.

Glimmer’s name left her lips in a contented sigh and the queen’s response made her heart still in her chest.

“That’s it, baby,” Glimmer breathed, lips ghosting Adora’s ear and suddenly it hit her.

It hit her like a beam from a Horde bot, stronger than the pulses of the Heart of Etheria as the energy coursed through her veins. Her entire body lit up like a spark, a fire burning in her belly.

In a practiced move, she flipped their positions, Glimmer landing underneath her with a surprised yelp. Adora smothered any objections she might have had in a fiery kiss as Glimmer melted into her, arms looping around her neck.

Yeah, okay…. She got it now.

And she could definitely, d_efinitely…_ get used to it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
All comments/thoughts are welcome.


End file.
